Scottish Executive

Airports

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the planned work programme of Councillor Eric Milligan’s "first impressions" review and whether Councillor Milligan or the Executive will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre regular reports on the success of this review.

Mr Andy Kerr: Councillor Milligan is planning to visit international ports, airports and other gateways throughout Scotland. He will travel to London and Dover to see analogous facilities there. He will also make short visits to cities in Northern Europe and North America to compare facilities there with those in Scotland. Other visits may be planned at a later stage.

  Councillor Milligan will present his finding by the end of the year. This is not a long timescale and he has not been asked to produce any interim report.

Ambulance Service

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Ambulance Service budget was last reviewed.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Ambulance Service budget will next be reviewed and when the results of any such review will be published.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors will be taken into account when reviewing the annual budget for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service’s budget is kept under regular review, most recently in the course of Spending Review 2004, the outcome of which will be announced shortly. Spending during the year is monitored against the budget. The spending review considerations for the Scottish Ambulance Service are informed by a variety of factors including demand, performance against agreed targets and proposed service development.

Cancer

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve cancer survival rates.

Malcolm Chisholm: Cancer in Scotland: Sustaining Change , published in May 2004, sets out the strategic direction for improvements in cancer services over the next three years and beyond.

  Statistics released in August 2004 show that over the last 25 years, five-year survival rates for cancer patients has increased from 25% to 41% for males and from 36 to 50% for females.

Dentistry

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental vocational training places in Dumfries and Galloway were taken up by Scottish graduates this year.

Mr Tom McCabe: Three vocational dental practitioners are in post in Dumfries and Galloway for the training year 2004-05 - one in Dumfries, one in Newton Stewart, and one in Stranraer. These training places have been filled by dentists who graduated outside Scotland.

  In addition, there is one individual in their second year of General Professional Training in the Community Dental Service in Dumfries. This individual qualified in Scotland.

Diabetes

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to ensure the early identification of people with diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The National Screening Committee Policy Position (March 2004)   advocates targeted screening of those in high-risk groups - in particular, members of certain minority ethnic groups and people with obesity. This will be taken forward in Scotland as part of the Review of the Diabetes Framework, which will be published shortly.

Environment

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce litter.

Allan Wilson: Over the last two years we have provided over £1 million of funding to support Keep Scotland Beautiful campaigns on anti-littering and flytipping. In addition, under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act we are giving powers to police officers to allow them to issue fixed penalty fines for littering and to give them powers to direct relevant bodies to clear litter.

Environment

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on the environment is of small hydro-electric power schemes.

Ross Finnie: The environmental impacts of such developments would depend on the type and scale of development and its location. They include potential impacts on ecology, hydrology, water quality and visual and landscape impacts. More detail is contained in the Scottish Natural Heritage publication Guidelines on the Environmental Impacts of Windfarms and Small Scale Hydroelectric Schemes , which is available in SPICe.

Environment

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the Large Combustion Plants Directive.

Ross Finnie: The Large Combustion Plants Directive is being implemented in two phases in line with the directive’s time provisions. For post-1987 plant, tighter emission limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and dust were introduced in 2002 through regulations agreed in the Scottish Parliament.

  For pre-1987 plant, the directive provides the choice of tighter emission limit values at individual plants or a UK national plan for all such plant, both to take effect from 1 January 2008. The UK has submitted a draft national plan to the European Commission. We expect to reach a conclusion on which implementation route to take by the spring of 2005 at the latest.

Environment

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce strategic environmental assessment legislation.

Ross Finnie: Strategic environmental assessment legislation came into force on 20 July 2004 by way of The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations.

  The Legislative Programme, announced on 7 September, includes The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Bill which proposes to extend the strategic environmental assessment provisions beyond the current regulations.

Environment

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the recent House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report Budget 2004 and Energy , it remains committed to playing an equitable part in reducing overall UK climate change emissions.

Ross Finnie: Climate change is widely recognised as the most serious environmental threat to our planet. We therefore remain committed to playing our part in global efforts to address the threat and to making an equitable contribution to the UK Kyoto target. The review of our Scottish Climate Change Programme this year offers an opportunity to assess how we will continue to deliver that commitment.

Finance

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update of progress being made with the Financial Services Strategy Group following its third meeting on 14 September 2004.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Financial Services Strategy Group (FSSG) is charged with developing a vision and strategy to support the future success of the financial services sector in Scotland. Building on its earlier work, it has identified three areas around which it will build its strategy, namely:

  the need to support firms in Scotland to be at the forefront of technical and market opportunities;

  the need to ensure Scotland has in place the infrastructure to sustain, develop and attract a quality workforce, and

  above all, the need for closer partnership working between the public and private sectors, allied to a greater clarity of communication, in and beyond Scotland, about the Scottish financial services sector.

  At its meeting on 14 September, the FSSG discussed a number of specific measures and actions which, taken together, should contribute to the delivery of these aims. These include capitalising on Scotland’s research base, including the work of the Intermediate Technology Institutes; ensuring that current labour market interventions are delivering the skilled workforce that the industry needs to prosper, and developing a robust means of ensuring that the voice of the industry in Scotland is heard where decisions may have specific Scottish impacts. A number of additional areas were also identified by the group and thinking on these will be developed over the next weeks and months.

  The calibre of those involved in the FSSG has enabled high-quality, detailed and wide ranging analysis to be carried out and this will be reflected in the final strategy, to be published in early 2005.

Freight

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much traffic has been removed from the roads as a result of the Freight Facilities Grant awarded to BP at Grangemouth.

Nicol Stephen: A total of 5.9 million lorry miles were removed from Scotland’s roads as a result of this award of grant during the first two years of operation from April 2002 to March 2004.

Further Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with industrial relations in the further education sector.

Mr Jim Wallace: I believe that good industrial relations have played an important part in securing the sector’s high level of success. I have seen no evidence to suggest that industrial relations are not generally of a high standard. Where industrial relations do fall short of the standard I expect, I look to all concerned to work maturely and constructively to resolve any areas of specific difficulty, and to do so with the minimum of delay.

General Practitioners

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy on how best to involve patients in the process for appointing new GPs.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is a matter for each NHS board to decide how it will involve patients in the appointment process.

  Boards are already expected to involve individuals, groups and communities in the wider planning of services and the NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 places a statutory duty on them to involve the public in service change.

General Practitioners

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards have recruited new out-of-hours GPs and, of these, how many have taken up employment, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally. Many of the NHS board models for out-of-hours service reprovision, currently being developed, involve a combination of new salaried GPs and independent contractors covering shifts at sessional rates.

General Practitioners

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs have given notice of withdrawal from out-of-hours care over the last five years, broken down by NHS board and expressed also as a percentage of all GPs within each board.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available centrally.

General Practitioners

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive where information can be accessed by the public to determine whether a GP practice has closed its patient list; whether there is any guidance or regulations requiring a GP practice to give notice that its list is closing and, if so, what these requirements are.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information is provided by practices themselves. Any patient who has moved to a new location and wishes to join the list of a practice, or who wishes simply to change doctor, is free to apply to any local practice. A practice is required by the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 to state the reasons for the refusal of any application. A patient whose application is made to a practice with a closed list will be informed accordingly. The procedure for the closure of a list is set out in the regulations and a practice is required to give notice to its health board prior to consideration of the proposal.

Health

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support preventative clinics, such as well man clinics, provided by local health practices.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive already supports extensive preventative screening activities across Scotland, for example the Scottish Executive recently announced a further three well man clinic pilots in the Borders, Lanarkshire and the Western Isles which brings the total to 10 well man pilots across Scotland.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many unscheduled readmissions to hospital following discharge there have been in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004 to date, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

  However, emergency admissions, within 28 days of discharge, can be identified and are presented in a table Emergency readmissions, within 28 days, to Scottish hospitals a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33792).

Health

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rotas covering junior doctors in NHS Lothian are compliant with the EU working time directive, broken down by speciality.

Malcolm Chisholm: We do not hold detailed rota information for doctors in training. However, the following table provides details of NHS Lothian’s assessment of the number of doctors in training, broken down by specialities who are compliant with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations (WTR), as at 1 August 2004. I hope this information is useful.

  Analysis by Speciality - Lothian

  

Specialty
Number of Doctors in Training1


WTR compliant at
16-06-/045
Expected to be WTR compliant at 01-/08-042,5
Total


Accident and Emergency
41
41
41


Anaesthetics
15
58.6
58.6


Clinical Pathology
11
11
11


Haematology
4
9
13


Medical Microbiology and Virology
8
8
8


Dermatology
6
6
6


Cardiology
6
17
17


Infectious Diseases
5
5
5


Gastroenterology
0
0
10


General Medicine
22
49
49


Renal Medicine
4
10
10


Respiratory Medicine
8
13
13


Rheumatology
1
1
1


Genito-urinary Medicine
2
2
2


Geriatrics
5
22
38


Intensive Care Medicine
10
16
16


Medical Oncology
6.5
6.5
6.5


Neurology
6
6
14


Paediatrics
35
35
35


Palliative Medicine
1
1
1


Clinical Oncology
9
9
9


Rehabilitation Medicine
0
0
6


Obstetrics and Gynaecology
45
45
45


Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
0
0
7


General Psychiatry
29
29
70


Clinical Radiology
24
24
24


Cardiothoracic Surgery
4
18
18


ENT Surgery
6
6
12


General Surgery
25
25
36


Neurosurgery
0
0
5


Ophthalmology
14
14
14


Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
18
23
23


Paediatric Surgery
5
15
15


Plastic Surgery
12
12
12


Urology
7
7
7


General Practice
1
1
1


Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
6
6
6


Mixed3
10
33
53


Unknown4
23
55
70


Totals
434.5
639.1
788.1


Percentages
55.1%
81.1%
100.0%



  Notes:

  1. These figures do not include GP Registrars.

  2. Figures are board predictions for the number of doctors in training expected to be WTR compliant/non-compliant at 1 August 2004.

  3. A mixed specialty rota occurs where a return has specified more than one of the above specialties on the same rota.

  4. An unknown rota occurs where the return has provided insufficient information to distinguish which of the above specialties apply.

  5. Compliance with the European Working Time Regulations includes working no longer than 58 hours per week, taking a minimum 11 hours rest in a 24 hour period, and receiving four weeks' paid annual leave.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new hepatitis A cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the viral hepatitis B incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new hepatitis B cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of syphilis was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new syphilis cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the gonococcal infection incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new gonococcal infection cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the pertussis incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new pertussis cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the measles incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new measles cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the malaria incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new malaria cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the diphtheria incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new diphtheria cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the tetanus incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new tetanus cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the acute poliomyelitis incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new poliomyelitis cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the congenital rubella incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new congenital rubella cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the neonatal tetanus incidence was per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of new neonatal tetanus cases was in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization’s European health for all database.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to question S2W-10305 answered on 22 September 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Holyrood Project

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of issues relating to contract cost control in respect of the new Parliament building, it is appropriate for Executive-funded bodies to negotiate building contracts from design through construction with only one consortium of companies and in what circumstances a negotiated contract with a sole bidder is appropriate for large contracts.

Mr Andy Kerr: The prime objective of government procurement is to achieve value for money and it is the Executive’s policy that procurement should be undertaken through open competition unless there are exceptional reasons which justify negotiating with only one bidder.

Hospitals

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Greater Glasgow has intimated its intention to proceed, before the end of the year, with its proposal to consult on the closure of the in-patient facility at the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow that there are no firm proposals for consultation on the future of in-patient facilities at the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital and no scheduled date for the NHS board to consider this issue.

NHS Boards

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review severance schemes for executives and senior managers of NHS boards.

Malcolm Chisholm: No such review is planned. NHSScotland employers are required to follow the arrangements set out in the General Whitley Council Handbook which apply to all staff.

NHS Boards

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next meet executives of NHS Argyll and Clyde and whether it will discuss the severance scheme for executives and senior managers at that meeting.

Malcolm Chisholm: Representatives of the Scottish Executive regularly meet with NHS Argyll and Clyde.

  The General Whitley Council Handbook sets out the severance terms applicable for all NHSScotland staff and it is for NHS boards to comply with the handbook terms locally.

NHS Boards

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the severance scheme for both current and former executives and senior managers of NHS Argyll and Clyde.

Malcolm Chisholm: No investigation is planned. NHS Argyll and Clyde are required to operate within the arrangements set out in the General Whitley Council Handbook and I would expect any divergence from the handbook arrangements to be highlighted through the board’s external audit arrangements.

NHS Spending

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of each NHS board's spending was spent on administration in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The percentage of each board’s spending spent on administration costs in each of the last five years was as follows:

  

Board
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03


Argyll and Clyde
7%
6%
6%
6%
6%


Ayrshire and Arran
6%
6%
6%
6%
6%


Borders
7%
8%
7%
8%
8%


Dumfries and Galloway
7%
7%
7%
6%
6%


Fife
6%
6%
6%
7%
6%


Forth Valley
6%
6%
5%
5%
6%


Grampian
6%
7%
7%
7%
7%


Greater Glasgow
8%
7%
8%
8%
8%


Highland
7%
7%
6%
6%
6%


Lanarkshire
7%
7%
7%
7%
6%


Lothian
8%
7%
7%
7%
7%


Orkney
6%
6%
7%
7%
4%*


Shetland
6%
5%
5%
6%
4%*


Tayside
8%
8%
9%
7%
7%


Western Isles
8%
7%
8%
8%
4%*



  Notes:

  The boards’ spending is taken to be the gross total revenue expenditure figures from their published Annual Accounts for each respective financial year. The amount spent on administration is taken to be management and administration costs reported in their published Annual Accounts plus management and administration expenditure incurred by trusts in their area. Trust management and administration expenses are taken from Scottish Financial Return (SFR) 5.2, which is completed by each hospital, as disclosed in answering parliamentary question (S2W-8040).

  *Due to a change in reporting requirements, the 2002-03 figures of the Island Health Boards (Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles) are not directly comparable with the preceding four years. Their 2002-03 figures shown therefore only include the hospital management and administration costs but not board management costs, which are not available for that year. This situation has been rectified in 2003-04.

NHS Staff

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to end the shortage of NHS consultants.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive continues to build capacity in the medical staff group within NHSScotland.

  NHS consultant numbers have increased by 307 between 2000 and 2003, and continue to rise, in line with the Partnership Agreement commitment to increase the number of NHS consultants by 600 by 2006.

  A number of measures are being taken to address the recruitment and retention of consultants including reviewing succession planning and career development structures; opportunities to improve the retention of Specialist Registrars, with Certificates of Completion of Specialist Training, into consultant jobs within NHS Scotland, more quickly; investigating and costing the scope for international recruitment; also, a website portal is being developed to provide a one-stop-shop for the attraction and recruitment of consultants, within the context of the "Working for Health" website.

NHS Staff

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which (a) hospitals and (b) departments the last 50 consultants recruited by NHS Lothian were deployed.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not centrally held.

National Health Service

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it is having with the royal colleges in relation to the reconfiguration of services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive maintains a regular dialogue with the royal colleges. Officials from the Health Department met representatives from the royal colleges on Tuesday 21 September to discuss issues of service change.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9957 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004, whether the £9,882,454 cost of negligence claims in 2003-04 was met by NHS boards or by insurers and, if the cost was not met by insurers, how much has been paid in premiums (a) by each NHS board and (b) in total.

Malcolm Chisholm: In 2003-04 the cost of £9,882,454 for clinical negligence claims was met by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) and NHS boards.

  The cost of clinical negligence claims is generally met from (CNORIS) which is a risk management scheme for NHSScotland that came into operation on 1 April 2000. The scheme was established by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risk Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) Scotland Regulations 2000, as amended.

  Membership of CNORIS is mandatory for all health bodies in Scotland. The arrangements cover both clinical and non-clinical liabilities and are funded by contributions from the members. At the outset there were two aims in establishing the scheme, firstly, to provide cost-effective claims management and financial risk pooling arrangements for all of Scotland's NHS bodies. Secondly, to encourage a rigorous and logical approach to risk management in both the clinical and non-clinical sectors of NHSScotland.

  In 2003, the special health board, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) was formed and the Health Department decided that the CNORIS risk management standards, should become part of the work of NHS QIS. It was decided to combine the CNORIS standards with the former Clinical Standards Board’s generic standards to form Healthcare Governance standards. The process of establishing the new standards is on-going.

  CNORIS operates as a risk pool, meeting the cost of negligence cases arising in any one year (subject to a deductible payable by the member (i.e. NHS body)). The pool operates on a pay-as-you-go basis with members' contributions for any one year based on the expected level of demand on the pool in that year. Further information on the scheme can be found at http://www.cnoris.com/.

  In managing the scheme two actuarial reports are commissioned each year. The main report is undertaken in November each year and is used to assess the likely demand on the scheme and determine contribution levels for the coming year. The second report is undertaken each September and assesses the claims to be settled in the remaining six months of the year, the level at which claims have settled in comparison to the amount claimed, the likelihood of new claims and existing funds. This allows the Department to manage the level of funds held centrally and assess if the scheme can return unspent resources in-year.

  The scheme actuaries assessed that the potential liability in 2003-04 was £13.68 million. The Department off-set this amount by £4 million, from a carried forward balance leaving £9.68 million to be collected for 2003-04. After the application of risk management discounts £8.49 million was collected. The amounts collected were as follows:

  

NHS Board
Amount Collected


Argyll and Clyde
£911,774


Ayrshire and Arran
£550,385


Borders
£177,734


Dumfries and Galloway
£289,903


Fife
£513,897


Forth Valley
£401,985


Grampian
£741,823


Greater Glasgow
£1,606,639


Highland
£332,781


Lanarkshire
£656,578


Lothian
£1,171,764


Orkney
£30,963


Shetland
£36,073


Tayside
£740,763


Western Isles
£58,096


Special Health Boards
£271,827


Total
£8,492,985



  In 2003-04, a further £4.53 million was returned to CNORIS members following the in-year review.

National Parks

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in discussion with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority on the use of jet skis on the loch.

Allan Wilson: This is a matter for the National Park Authority in the first instance. However, we are aware that the authority is reviewing the adequacy of the current byelaws with a view to a public consultation exercise next year.

Organ Donation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heart-lung transplants there have been in Scotland in each year since 1999 and how many patients were referred outside Scotland for such transplants in each year.

Malcolm Chisholm: As there is no heart-lung transplant programme in Scotland, almost all Scottish patients receive their transplant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

  A total of eight patients with a Scottish postcode have received a heart-lung transplant since 1999. Because of the small number of patients involved, it is not possible to give the numbers in each year for reasons of patient confidentiality.

Organ Donation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people carried donor cards in each year since 1999 (a) nationally and (b) in each NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to provide the information requested, as people are not required to register their decision to carry an organ donor card.

Prescription Charges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin to consult on a review of prescription charge exemptions.

Malcolm Chisholm: The review will commence in early October 2004 and will consist of a research project followed by a full public consultation. The research will take four to five months and will include an international literature review to examine prescription charging regimes in other countries. In addition, researchers will examine and assess the effectiveness of different arrangements for publicising prescription charge exemptions in the countries selected for review.

  The outcomes of the research will be used in the preparation of a wide ranging public consultation document. We expect the public consultation phase of the review to begin by May 2005. The consultation process will enable all interested persons and organisations to contribute their views. Responses to the consultation will be published and all the views expressed will be taken into account.

Prison Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support prison governors and senior managers in the Scottish Prison Service’s call for the Scottish Prison Service Board to recognise formally the Prison Governors Association.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to S2O-3007 on 21 September 2004 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/sch/search.

Ragwort

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to combat the spread of ragwort.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department investigates all written complaints about ragwort infestations, and where necessary, requires occupiers to carry out control measures to prevent spread of the weed. Where infestations occur on non-agricultural land, details are passed on to the relevant authority for further investigation. The Executive may also take control action and charge the occupier accordingly.

  In addition, the department has produced a guidance leaflet which advises on the dangers of ragwort and methods of control.

Rail Network

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that communities are consulted regarding the siting of digital telecommunication masts by Network Rail.

Nicol Stephen: The implementation of the new railway communications system (GSM-R) is primarily a matter for Network Rail, however the Scottish Executive is aware of the significant concern of local people at some of the mast sites. Network Rail have confirmed that they will in future write to all elected representatives who have an interest in the installation of each of the masts and undertake a mail-drop to all householders in the area affected. The Scottish Executive has been involved in meetings and discussion to help resolve this issue and continues to monitor the situation.

Rail Network

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to help to reduce rail travel times between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Nicol Stephen: The Strategic Rail Authority commissioned a study into the development of the Aberdeen to Inverness rail improvement project to improve rail journey times and frequency of services. The proposal is made up of three schemes: realignment of Forres station, improvements of line speeds between Aberdeen and Elgin, and to build a "dynamic" loop at Orton.

  I understand that a full appraisal of the proposal is currently being prepared in accordance with the Scottish Executive’s Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the proposal to devolve further powers to it in respect of railways, whether rail funding will be allocated through the block grant or the National Track Access regime; what its powers over Network Rail will be; whether it or the Office of the Rail Regulator will have the power to direct Network Rail’s investment in Scotland; in what way Network Rail will be accountable to (a) it and (b) the Parliament, and whether the devolution of additional powers will enable the Executive to control the operation of railway infrastructure and to lead its development, including operational maintenance and renewal.

Nicol Stephen: It has been agreed with the UK Government that, in future, the Scottish Executive will specify network outputs to be delivered by Network Rail and fund Scottish infrastructure costs. This agreement is subject to a fair and appropriate transfer of funding to enable the Executive to undertake these additional responsibilities. Network Rail will be responsible for operating the network and for its performance.

  The Office of Rail Regulation will have the same responsibilities in Scotland as in England and Wales, covering safety, performance and cost. In reporting on its performance, Network Rail will separately identify activity in Scotland.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the delivery of the Gourock interchange.

Nicol Stephen: We understand that Inverclyde Council and Network Rail, as the main parties, have made progress in agreeing outline development and design proposals for the Gourock transport interchange.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what strategic benefits the Gourock interchange will deliver for railways in Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Gourock Interchange project will enable rail, ferry, bus and taxi users to switch between travel modes in a modern purpose built environment.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were applied in the provision of funding for the disabled access footbridge at Lockerbie rail station.

Nicol Stephen: The decision by the Scottish Executive to make available funding of up to £750,000 for a new footbridge at Lockerbie rail station, allowing disabled access to the southbound platform, was taken largely because of the station’s isolation within the rail network, and the infrequency of stopping passenger services. Passengers with disabilities who cannot access the existing footbridge at Lockerbie must make a return journey of an additional 50 miles to Carlisle, which has obvious significant impacts on both length of journey and the times of day when such a journey can be made.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the installation of the disabled access footbridge at Lockerbie rail station.

Nicol Stephen: Network Rail have now allocated their own staff resources to this project, enabling detailed design work to proceed and a realistic work programme to be drawn up.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for future maintenance costs associated with the disabled access footbridge at Lockerbie rail station.

Nicol Stephen: Provision for maintenance until the end of the current Office of the Rail Regulator control period will be included in the cost analysis that will be part of the project development work. A key consideration is that any additional infrastructure will require the maintenance and station long-term charge costs to be underwritten by others. This area will be explored in more detail during the project development work.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a list of rail stations that have been prioritised for access improvements and, if so, what the criteria are for such prioritisation.

Nicol Stephen: The Strategic Rail Authority intends to consult shortly on its proposed Access for All programme, which seeks to identify stations that are a high priority for access improvements. It will consider – amongst other things – station usage, geographic criteria, and a project’s interaction with initiatives by third parties. Additionally, there are a number of on-going projects in Scotland which will enhance access to stations and their services. These improvements include better provision for disabled people and enhanced public transport, cycle and pedestrian access.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ScotRail will be eligible to apply for the Access for All fund, established by the Strategic Rail Authority to improve access at rail stations, and, if not, how the Executive will support access improvements to stations.

Nicol Stephen: The Access for All fund will be prioritised on a British National basis. I understand that the Strategic Rail Authority intend to publish a consultation paper in November that will cover the scope for applications to be made to the Access for All fund as well as the criteria for prioritising stations.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who will (a) own and (b) fund the proposed Edinburgh Airport rail station.

Nicol Stephen: Ownership of the station is under discussion between Transport Innovative Edinburgh Limited, the British Airports Authority and Network Rail. The detailed funding arrangements for the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link has not yet been agreed.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds it expects to receive following Her Majesty’s Government’s rail review and whether these funds will be allocated from the budget of the Strategic Rail Authority or the Department of Transport.

Nicol Stephen: As part of the Review of the Railways, the UK Government intends that greater responsibility for railways in Scotland will transfer to Scottish ministers.

  The changes, outlined in the UK Government Future of Rail White Paper, remain subject to agreement on a fair and appropriate transfer of resources from the UK Government to the Scottish Executive.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who will operate and manage the Stirling to Alloa to Kincardine railway line once it has been completed.

Nicol Stephen: Once constructed, it is intended that the line will be transferred by Clackmannanshire Council to Network Rail to own, operate and maintain.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what access improvement projects it has supported, and is currently supporting, for train stations.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is funding works to improve access at specific points on the network in Scotland.

  

Local Authority Area
Type of Works


Angus Council
Montrose footbridge, lifts at Arbroath


East Renfrewshire Council
Disabled access at: Williamwood Clarkston. Giffnock, Patterton, Thornliebank, Neilston, Whitecraigs and Barrhead


Fife Council
Footbridge at Inverkeithing, Markinch and Rosyth


South Lanarkshire Council
Access Ramp to platform from car park at Newton.


Dumfries and Galloway Council
Footbridge at Lockerbie



  In addition, access improvements are being supported by the Scottish Executive through funding awards to the regional transport partnerships and a station platform lengthening programme.

Rail Safety

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has in the current rollout of Global System for Mobile Telecommunication (GSM-R) masts.

Nicol Stephen: GSM-R is primarily a rail safety matter – and therefore reserved. It is intended to improve communication between train drivers and signallers. The programme’s implementation is a matter for Network Rail, due to its responsibility for railway infrastructure and the safe and efficient operation of the rail network. The Scottish Executive is aware of the significant concern about some of the mast sites and will continue to monitor the situation and make appropriate representations to Network Rail.

Rail Services

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with train operating companies regarding the provision of no-smoking carriages on all trains.

Nicol Stephen: GNER is the only train operating company operating in Scotland which permits smoking in limited areas of its trains. All other operating companies operate a no-smoking policy. I understand that GNER is currently reviewing its smoking policy and will be responding to the Scottish Executive consultation paper on smoking in public places.

Renewable Energy

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has had with the setting up of the UK Centre for Marine Renewable Energy.

Lewis Macdonald: Three members of the consortium behind this new initiative were co-authors of the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland’s sub-group on marine energy development. Much of the impetus for this valuable new centre arose from the work of this sub-group, which included representation from industry, universities and the Scottish Executive.

Road Accidents

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents occurred with injury (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization's European health for all database.

Nicol Stephen: The numbers of road traffic accidents in which one or more people were injured which were reported by the police for each year appear in Table 7.1 of Scottish Transport Statistics No. 23: 2004 Edition , copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33706).

  The numbers of such accidents per 100,000 population in each year since 1999 are given in the table below.

  Number of Road Traffic Accidents in Which One Or More People Were Injured, Per 100,000 Population

  

1999
 304


2000
 299


2001
 291


2002
 283


2003
 274



  Both sets of figures are on the same basis as those shown for the UK in the World Health Organization's European health for all database.

Road Accidents

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were injured in road traffic accidents (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 head of population in each year since 1999, calculated on the same basis as the World Health Organization's European health for all database.

Nicol Stephen: The numbers of people who were injured in road traffic accidents which were reported by the Police for each year appear in Table 7.4 of Scottish Transport Statistics No. 23: 2004 Edition , copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33706).

  The numbers of road accident casualties per 100,000 population in each year since 1999 are given in the table below.

  Number of Road Accident Casualties, Per 100,000 Population

  

1999
 414


2000
 405


2001
 393


2002
 381


2003
 369



  Both sets of figures are on the same basis as those shown for the UK in the World Health Organization's European health for all database.

Shipping

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the extension of the Company Neutral Revenue Support scheme to coastal shipping.

Nicol Stephen: We will not be introducing an exact maritime equivalent of the Company Neutral Revenue Support Grant scheme although we will be introducing the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme. This revenue grant scheme will be aimed at encouraging the development of new water freight routes which take lorries off roads by assisting with operating costs during the first three years of operation. This will be open to all freight traffic which is switching from road to water including inter-modal units.

Transport

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what predictions it has made of the impact that the policies set out in Scotland's transport future: the transport white paper – June 2004 will have on climate change and when such predictions will be available.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling the causes of climate change and to ensuring that Scotland makes an equitable contribution to the UK Kyoto target. The white paper of June 2004, Scotland’s transport future , is a strategic document which sets out the principles which inform our transport policy; our objectives for transport; the major deliverables for the next 10 years, and changes to the delivery mechanisms at national and regional level for transport.

  All significant transport projects are subject to a form of environmental assessment through the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). The guidance provides advice to planners and decision-makers on the appraisal of transport projects where the Executive’s support or approval is required. One of the key criteria is the impact of the proposed transport project on the environment. The Executive has also introduced regulations to comply with the UK commitments stemming from the EU Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). SEA is a systematic process for taking into account environmental concerns, including climate change, at the earliest stages of development of public sector plans and programmes, including those relating to transport. To implement the Partnership Agreement commitment on SEA, a SEA Bill is being progressed. The bill seeks to extend the scope of SEA to ensure that every public plan and programme with significant environmental implications will be assessed. STAG is currently being reviewed to ensure compliance with SEA.

  The Executive supports a range of transport interventions, intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the Executive has commissioned research to help us develop new guidance for local authorities on road traffic reduction which will contribute towards the reduction of transport emissions. We are also putting significant resources in a wide range of measures, including major public transport infrastructure investment, which are intended to improve travel choices, encourage modal shift towards public transport, cycling and walking and to reduce road traffic growth and transport emissions. The Scottish Executive fully supports the UK Government Powering Future Vehicles strategy which promotes the development, introduction and take up of cleaner fuels and is funding programmes to help the market for cleaner, low carbon vehicles and new technologies.

  We will evaluate transport policies as part of the formal review of the Scottish Climate Change Programme, due to commence later this year. The programme review will provide an opportunity for the Executive to consider whether new policies and measures are required, or if existing ones need to be strengthened.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its most immediate transport infrastructure priorities are.

Nicol Stephen: The key major transport infrastructure projects being given priority by the Scottish Executive are set out in the Transport White Paper Scotland’s Transport Future (published on 16 June 2004), available from the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. number 33072).

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties in respect of the delivery of transport policy will be the responsibility of (a) the new national transport agency, (b) local transport agencies and (c) the Minister for Transport.

Nicol Stephen: As an executive agency within the Scottish Executive, the proposed national transport agency will exercise such transport powers and discharge such responsibilities on behalf of Scottish ministers, as Scottish ministers choose to delegate to it. Consideration is currently being given as to which detailed functions will be exercised by the transport agency.

  As set out in the Executive’s White Paper Scotland’s Transport Future, the proposed regional transport partnerships will carry out such transport functions as their constituent councils decide to delegate to them. The Executive will shortly be consulting on three draft models of partnership functions.

  The Executive remains committed to preserving the strengths of SPT and its workforce and building upon these to create a strong regional transport partnership in the west of Scotland.

Visually Impaired People

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9830 by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 August 2004, what information it has on whether visually impaired people will be provided with leaflets in large print, screen readers, audio recording, electronic formats or other formats appropriate to their needs.

Malcolm Chisholm: Requirements for the provision of patient information leaflets are reserved matters which come under the remit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

  The agency has advised that new legal requirements which will come into force from October 2005, will place an obligation on medicines manufacturers to make available on request patient information leaflets in formats suitable for visually impaired patients. In the meantime, companies are encouraged to do this voluntarily.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Fire Safety

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many individuals have still to undergo fire safety training, broken down into (a) Parliament staff, (b) MSPs, (c) MSPs’ staff and (d) contractors.

Duncan McNeil (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): To date, the following numbers of people have still to attend Fire Safety training:

  SPCB Staff - 193

  MSPs – 12

  MSP staff – see below

  Contractors – none

  The SPCB recommends that all regular users of the Holyrood building attend this training. We cannot give a meaningful figure as to how many members’ staff have not completed the training since we have no record of how many of these staff are regular users of the building. We can confirm, however, that 98 members’ staff have completed the training. MSPs are expected to identify whether this training is relevant for their staff as only they know whether their staff work on campus, in their local office or both. We are similarly unable to provide a definitive number of media workers still to complete this training, although 39 of them have attended to date.

Fire Safety

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many individuals have been prevented from working at Holyrood as a result of not having attended the fire safety training course, broken down into (a) Parliament staff, (b) MSPs (c) MSPs’ staff and (d) contractors.

Duncan McNeil (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): No individuals have been prevented from working at Holyrood as a result of not attending Fire Safety training. The SPCB recommends that all users of the Holyrood building attend this training but, with the exception of SPCB staff, does not compel them to do so. Fire safety legislation requires relevant training to be provided, but not necessarily prior to occupation of a building. Fire training courses were rolled out prior to our occupying the Holyrood building, and are still on-going.